Art of Manidera

I have often heard it said that if you've been to one temple, you've been to them all, but as time goes on I have found quite the opposite to be true, every temple (and indeed shrine) is quite unique.

 

One of the intriguing aspects of temples for me is the art. The statues, carvings, paintings, and sometimes even masks.

 

japanese buddhism includes a massive array of a sometimes bewildering number of buddhas, deities, and other figures. Sometimes a single piece of art can be quite exquisite, but for me it is more interesting searching for and finding original expressions of the same figure or buddha,

 

here are just a few of the artpieces at Manidera, a mountain temple near Tottori City.

 

Two previous posts on Manidera can be found here

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